My Swing Speed Journey

[Springveldt]

I went for a lesson today right after playing 18 holes. I was surprised at the drop off was on gc quad so I was looking at the speeds. I was hitting most around 98mph with only a few breaking 100.
During speed training I’m pretty consistent in the 106/108 range the now.

I'm the same when on a launch monitor, if I revert to what feels like a swing I would use on the course I'm about 100mph, if I try to hit it a bit harder I'm about 105mph (and I don't lose anything dispersion wise, just hit it longer) and if I try and kill it I can get to 109mph but that swing isn't sustainable.

I've went back to swinging my superspeed sticks 10 minutes before I tee off, using them to get a big stretch and swinging them as hard as I can. I might start taking my radar with me as well to make sure I'm getting up to the speed I want. I've already noticed the difference, on my last 2 rounds I've put my first drive about 20 yards past the bunkers, before doing this my first drive was lucky to make it to the bunkers.

 

[Springveldt]

Just thought I would put this here to let people see how hard I am swinging when doing Superspeed training. As I've said, I'm really swinging out my shoes and putting everything I've got into them.

You can see my 5 or 6 minute warm up and then afterwards the lulls back into orange range are me taking a couple of minutes break before and after swinging the red sticks. I swing the green and blues without a break between them.



It's almost like a HIIT session.

 

[Neilds]

What amazes me on this thread is how many times the people doing speed training make excuses for not being able to fit in the session which takes about 20 minutes (if I am correct). What is the point of doing all this training as you obviously haven't got the time to play a round of golf to put it into practice?

 

[HPIMG]

What amazes me on this thread is how many times the people doing speed training make excuses for not being able to fit in the session which takes about 20 minutes (if I am correct). What is the point of doing all this training as you obviously haven't got the time to play a round of golf to put it into practice?

I don’t know about anyone else but I find it annoying doing the speed training. I love practicing chipping but for some reason I don’t like the speed training but it’s working I hit 3 personal best drives today.

 

[Springveldt]

What amazes me on this thread is how many times the people doing speed training make excuses for not being able to fit in the session which takes about 20 minutes (if I am correct). What is the point of doing all this training as you obviously haven't got the time to play a round of golf to put it into practice?

It’s not everyone, it’s mainly me. Sorry for having a busy and complicated family life I suppose.

I do manage to get out to play golf twice a week and you shouldn’t do your speed training on those days so that leaves 5 days to get 3 sessions in. Some days I just don’t have the time, sorry if that offends you.

 

[Neilds]

It’s not everyone, it’s mainly me. Sorry for having a busy and complicated family life I suppose.

I do manage to get out to play golf twice a week and you shouldn’t do your speed training on those days so that leaves 5 days to get 3 sessions in. Some days I just don’t have the time, sorry if that offends you.

The emojis should be a big hint that it was tongue in cheek so you shouldn’t be offended at me being offended as I’m not

 

[tigerwes]

After just coming back from a quick driver fitting to try some of the new models at AG I have found I swing slower than I thought.

I presumed I was swinging just over 100mph but the launch monitor at AG was coming out at average around 94-96 with a couple at 99 and the slow dropping to 92-92.

So I'm thinking of doing some swing speed training and I'm open to ideas. Ideally I would like to get to at least 105mph.

Usual weight training I already do and to be honest I'm fairly strong, bench 130kg deadlift 220kg without really training for full on strength at the moment.

 

[Springveldt]

After just coming back from a quick driver fitting to try some of the new models at AG I have found I swing slower than I thought.

I presumed I was swinging just over 100mph but the launch monitor at AG was coming out at average around 94-96 with a couple at 99 and the slow dropping to 92-92.

So I'm thinking of doing some swing speed training and I'm open to ideas. Ideally I would like to get to at least 105mph.

Usual weight training I already do and to be honest I'm fairly strong, bench 130kg deadlift 220kg without really training for full on strength at the moment.

Hope you are stretching with lifting those weights, I was an idiot and didn’t stretch when I used to lift heavy years ago (used to bench 140kg for 5x5, squat 200kg and deadlift 240kg at my strongest) but I’m stiff as a board and also 4 stone overweight 20 years later but that’s my fault. Currently working on both but have a long way to go.

You are plenty strong enough to swing fast, just make sure you have a good range of motion. That’s one of the benefits I like of Superspeed training it also acts as a dynamic stretch for me as with every session I try and get a bigger turn.

Also, what was the launch monitor in AG? I’ve been in some that only have a GC2 which doesn’t actually track clubhead speed, it just takes ball speed and divides it by a fixed smash factor to give an estimated swing speed. So if it was that and you weren’t hitting the middle of the face then you could be swinging faster but just not getting a good connection.

 

[tigerwes]

Unfortunately I'm the same as you and don't stretch after a workout, mainly due to not having time.

This definitely impacts my swing and I know I struggle with flexibility. I am though starting to ease off on the weights due to having a trapped nerve in my back which is really giving me some discomfort after training.

As someone who is fairly strong I feel I should be able to hit a long ball. In reality I'm still longer than most I play with, but I feel I should be able to squeeze some more distance out.

I'm not sure on the launch monitor, but it was fairly old.

 

[Springveldt]

Unfortunately I'm the same as you and don't stretch after a workout, mainly due to not having time.

This definitely impacts my swing and I know I struggle with flexibility. I am though starting to ease off on the weights due to having a trapped nerve in my back which is really giving me some discomfort after training.

As someone who is fairly strong I feel I should be able to hit a long ball. In reality I'm still longer than most I play with, but I feel I should be able to squeeze some more distance out.

I'm not sure on the launch monitor, but it was fairly old.

I’m finding swinging fast is more range of motion and technique more than brute strength. Even the TPI tests they do for “golfer strength” is explosiveness to weight ratio as they test vertical jump, medicine ball pass from chest and medicine ball overhead throw from a sit-up.

 

[VVega]

After just coming back from a quick driver fitting to try some of the new models at AG I have found I swing slower than I thought.

I presumed I was swinging just over 100mph but the launch monitor at AG was coming out at average around 94-96 with a couple at 99 and the slow dropping to 92-92.

So I'm thinking of doing some swing speed training and I'm open to ideas. Ideally I would like to get to at least 105mph.

Usual weight training I already do and to be honest I'm fairly strong, bench 130kg deadlift 220kg without really training for full on strength at the moment.

Before any extra strength/ speed training I would recommend watching videos of Bryson and Martin (LD) on the technique of swinging fast. Followed by Padraig who tempers it down to the practical level.

 

[HPIMG]

Hit my target of 110mph just need to try and hit 110mph consistently. Best last year was 109mph and I tried like mad to get that extra 1 mph but just couldn’t get it so was happy to hit it at start of my 3rd week this year.
I always hit 3 balls with driver before my routine then finish with another 3 drives.

 

[Springveldt]

Hit my target of 110mph just need to try and hit 110mph consistently. Best last year was 109mph and I tried like mad to get that extra 1 mph but just couldn’t get it so was happy to hit it at start of my 3rd week this year.
I always hit 3 balls with driver before my routine then finish with another 3 drives.
View attachment 53400

What was your PRGR saying the ball speed was? I'm not brave enough to hit driver into my net as it's a few years old and behind the net is a fence and my garage. Don't want something coming straight back at me.

 

[HPIMG]

What was your PRGR saying the ball speed was? I'm not brave enough to hit driver into my net as it's a few years old and behind the net is a fence and my garage. Don't want something coming straight back at me.

I don’t even look at that I only ever look at swing speeds but lessons with gc4 I’m about 155 ball speed before the speed training. I’ll take a note on wed/Fri and post

 

[Springveldt]

I don’t even look at that I only ever look at swing speeds but lessons with gc4 I’m about 155 ball speed before the speed training. I’ll take a note on wed/Fri and post

It's worth keeping note of as the PRGR is pretty good at measuring ball speed and you definitely want to see that going up.

 

[Springveldt]

Haven't done any speed work since the 16th as I'm getting a bit of pain in the lower end of my right lat muscle when playing. It's been happening since my round on the 19th of May, I start to get a sharp, sudden pain after 13 or 14 holes, it's not consistent and I might only get 3 or 4 twinges per round but I can definitely feel it.

I'm not sure if the speed work caused it, the daily stretching routine (and tried to overstretch) or just the increase in golf as I've played more rounds recently than I normally would but thought it best to try and rest it as much as possible.

 

[Fore Right]

I bought a speed stick 2 weeks ago and have been training with it.

So far found it to be a little detrimental , lost my rhythm and timing when going out on the course.
Worried it is bedding in some bad habits while undoubtedly increasing club head speed

 

[Springveldt]

I bought a speed stick 2 weeks ago and have been training with it.

So far found it to be a little detrimental , lost my rhythm and timing when going out on the course.
Worried it is bedding in some bad habits while undoubtedly increasing club head speed

That usually happens to me for the first week or two when I start back up, seem to lose a bit of face control with driver (I'm guessing when I'm swinging fast with the sticks I'm probably cupping my left wrist to get more leverage) but it soon goes.

So my back has felt much better the last few days, no sudden jolts of pain so thought I would get the speed sticks out at lunchtime since it's such a nice day and won't have time later since it's my son's birthday. Got all the gear out the garage (I roll out a length of fake turf to try and protect the grass), done a warm up then started. For the warm up I used the cheap force pedals I bought from China the other week and just concentrated on trying to push the one under the ball of my left foot down then push off of it as hard as I could. Knocked myself off balance a few times before I got the hang of it.

First 3 swings with the green were 128, 130, 129. I've never started that fast so was pretty excited. Did the non-dominant side and they were 100, 103, 100. Then it started raining. Quickly put away the speed radar and the fake turf and stood in the garage for 10 minutes but it didn't stop. Gave up and came back into the office to start work again.

Hoping the boy goes to sleep before it gets dark tonight as I really want to get a session in now.

 

[cunnini]

i got only my second session in probably 6 weeks at lunchtime at the range. Speeds down (no surprise there), but wrist injury all cleared up.

Just need to get back into the routine of 2 sessions a week again and build it back up

 

[FormerBigDaddy]

Quick update... now that we're closer to summer I've only done speed training once per week the last few weeks. Keep in mind that I've been doing 2x a week for the last year or so and originally started with the program doing it 3x per week when I began using superspeed. I have never really stopped, just started experimenting with my own thing after finishing the protocols. I'm a little over 1.5 year in and turning 42 this summer.

Yesterday I hit 130 Green, 125 Blue, and 120 Red.

These are not personal bests, however those benchmarks have always signified a "Great day" of speed training. It sure looks like you can hang on to your speeds by only doing speed training once per week once you have put significant time in.